Category: Uncategorized
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This Season, Shop With the Small Businesses Supported by CNote’s Network of CDFIs
Your investment is already helping small businesses fuel local economies, create jobs, and strengthen their communities. Through community-driven financing, these entrepreneurs gain access to the resources they need to expand, hire, and bring valuable products and services to their neighborhoods. This season, one of the most meaningful ways to deepen that impact is simple: support…
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Bridging the Gap: How CDFI Lending Supports Small Business Financial Well-Being
When an institutional investor recently asked us, “Can you share statistics that compare the financial well-being of small businesses that borrow from CDFI loan funds versus those who borrow from conventional banks?” we paused. It is a fair question, and an important one. But it is also deceptively complex. Comparing outcomes between CDFI and bank…
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How CDFIs Are Changing the Face of Finance
Rethinking What Finance Can Do Traditional finance has long focused on profit and scale, but not always on inclusion. Millions of Americans, especially in historically underserved communities, remain outside the reach of mainstream banking. That’s where Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) come in. These mission-driven lenders are proving that finance can be both responsible and…
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Stupski Foundation Transforms Sidelined Dollars into Community Impact with CNote
As funders consider how best to support communities in this moment, Stupski Foundation stands as a compelling example of what happens when foundations transform endowment dollars into community investments to multiply their philanthropic impact. Stupski Foundation is a time-bound, private foundation committed to returning all of its resources to communities in Hawaiʻi and California’s San…
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Why Community Banks Are the Safer, Smarter Choice and Why CNote Partners With Them
In today’s financial landscape, where headlines about regional bank instability keep surfacing, organizations are rethinking where they hold their cash. The question isn’t just about returns, but instead about safety and trust. At CNote, we believe that where your money rests matters. That’s why our Impact Cash® program partners with community banks over regional banks.…
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Brewing Resilience and Serving Community: Small Business Stories Fueling L.A.’s Recovery
When California’s wildfires swept through Los Angeles this year, their impact went far beyond charred landscapes. It disrupted the heartbeat of neighborhoods and shook the foundations of small, community-driven businesses. Yet amid the smoke and uncertainty, two local entrepreneurs, Natalie of Cafecita Coffee and Roozbeh of Delphi Greek Restaurant, stood as living testaments to the…
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AFP Boston 2025 Recap: How AI, Data, and Human Insight Are Shaping the Future of Treasury
The conversations at AFP Boston 2025 were centred on progress measured not just by technological advancement, but by how thoughtfully treasury teams are adapting to it. This year’s dominant theme was clear: AI isn’t replacing human expertise, it’s amplifying it. AI Humility: Progress with Perspective Artificial intelligence took center stage, but in a refreshingly grounded…
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Helping Tannersville Thrive: A Story of Housing and Hope
When a Village’s Workers Can’t Afford to Stay The Village of Tannersville, nestled in New York’s Greene County in the Catskill Mountains, is known for its charm: painted storefronts along Main Street, sweeping mountain vistas, a seasonal hum of visitors. Yet behind the postcard image lies a problem that has grown steadily worse—affordable housing. As…
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From First Responders to Long-Term Stabilizers
When federal paychecks are delayed, when inflation eats away at household budgets, or when a natural disaster shuts down a community, the institutions that step in quickly are the community-rooted credit unions and banks such as certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs). They have been called “financial first responders,” a…
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Why Reciprocal Deposit Networks Deserve a Second Look: Insights from the Dallas Fed
Banks, depositors, and regulators alike are grappling with how to modernize deposit insurance in an era of larger balances, diversified banking relationships, and evolving risks. A recent Dallas Fed analysis, “How do reciprocal deposit networks interact with deposit insurance?”, provides strong incentive for rethinking how regulators should treat banks that participate in reciprocal deposit networks.…